The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Review: My Sensitive Skin Approves It

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toner Review – The Glycolic Acid Toner from The Ordinary is one of their hit products and everyone on the Internet, be it creators or consumers, seems to love this product.

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toner Review in a Glance

Ever since The Ordinary has launched in India I have tried a bunch of their products. Some did really well while some caused reactions. I figured out The Ordinary is not for beginners and for people with sensitive skin because their formulations do contain percentages that are slightly higher for people with sensitive skin.

If anyone’s curious, all my beauty purchases are from Nykaa.

Out of nowhere, my Instagram feed was full of people recommending Glycolic acid-based pharmaceutical creams. There were videos from Dermats and experts suggesting Glycolic acid as an all-in-one solution.

I obviously was not going to buy pharmaceutical creams but I did my research and realized having glycolic acid in your skincare routine can really do wonders and change your skincare game.

When I opened my Nykaa app to see what options I had, The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning solution was the only option I could trust but I had my doubts because my skin has reacted in the past to The Ordinary products.

I wasn’t sure if spending money on this one would be the right decision. After going through The Ordinary Glycolic acid product reviews online, I decided to try my hands on it.

About The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution – Product Claims

• Price: Rs.1250/- ($15.60 USD) for 240ml
• Available at Nykaa, The Ordinary, Walmart, and Ulta

Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner (previously Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution) is an exfoliator that significantly smoothes skin texture and promotes the appearance of a more even skin tone, as well as more luminous skin, with regular use. It also reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles. The water-based toner format is suited to daily use.

It contains a 7% concentration of Glycolic acid – a well-studied alpha-hydroxy acid – and a plant-derived Tasmanian Pepperberry derivative, which varies in color seasonally and may cause an apparent color variation in the formula from time to time.

This formula should not be used on sensitive, peeling, or compromised skin. Please refer to the additional sun protection notes and other warnings in the provided directions.

Ingredients

Aqua (Water), Glycolic Acid, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Triethanolamine, Aminomethyl Propanol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Aspartic Acid, Alanine, Glycine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Glutamic Acid, Arginine, Pca, Sodium Pca, Sodium Lactate, Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose, Urea, Hexyl Nicotinate, Dextrin, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 20, Gellan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol.

How to Use

As mentioned on theordinary.com.

Packaging

It comes in a see-through bottle with a nozzle that makes it easy to use either through a cotton pad or when poured directly on the scalp. It is easy to store and travel with.

Fragrance

Nothing in particular as such.

My Experience with The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toner

My Skin Type: Sensitive and acne-prone skin. Dehydration and dryness due to a history of eczema.

The Ordinary specifically mentions that this toner is not be used by sensitive and compromised skin while the experts on the Internet shared how it can help with the skin concerns faced by sensitive skin.

Before I included the glycolic acid toner in my skincare routine, I figured out I do not have to use this daily. I only used this on alternate nights and skipped it every time I had a rash or a minor flare-up.

My skin is prone to rashes and flare-ups due to allergies so I need to be very careful of the products I decide to use, when to use, and how often to use them.

I started using the toner as advised on a cotton pad right after I washed my face. Currently, I am using Simple face wash which works well for my sensitive skin. I gently swipe the cotton pad all across my face and neck without rubbing too hard.

Next, I straight away jumped to my moisturizer and I did not use any serum or any other skincare product. I did not want to risk pairing this toner with anything whether it can be paired or not, so I decided to avoid the risk and followed up with moisturizer.

I continued this routine for a week and I only used the toner on alternate nights and when I was not using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid toner, I used my Vitamin C serum. No matter what, I did not pair anything with Glycolic Acid toner.

Noticed visible results within a week

I was expecting Glycolic acid toner to show results in a month or so but within a week, I started noticing huge changes on my skin.

My skin started to appear more even in terms of texture and the appearance of small clogged pores totally vanished. Even if my skin gets clogged due to a particular product such as in the case of Hyphen Moisturizer, the glycolic acid toner helped so much in dealing with those minor clogged pores.

Sooner, my skin started to appear a lot more clear and glowing. I am not kidding, THE GLOW was real!

I also noticed a speedy recovery of my skin every time I had breakouts. Dust, pollution, diet, hormones, and occasional sugar consumption end up causing painful acne but the glycolic acid toner helped in the speedy recovery of my skin from those breakouts and marks.

Eventually, I started noticing my skin looked a lot brighter, firmer, and polished. I don’t know how to put this in words but The Ordinary Glycolic Acid toner acted like an agent whose job was to work on the upper layer of skin at night and reveal fresh, smooth, and healthier skin the next morning.

Do not use the glycolic acid toner on a regular basis

Seeing the benefits, I decided what if I used it every single night rather than on alternate nights? But that was not a good decision because it ended up making my skin more dry. I realized in my case, alternate nights are the best time to use The Glycolic Acid toner.

I was afraid to use this on my sensitive skin but surprisingly, it worked so well that it changed my skincare game. It is going to be a part of my nighttime skincare routine no matter what.

Within a month of constant usage, I could definitely see my pores looked smaller and the appearance further improved. Even when I touched my skin it felt so smooth and soft.

It is said that Glycolic acid helps with collagen production and cell turnover and I have started to believe it’s true because of the way my skin looks now, it’s beautiful. 🙂

Obviously, I do not forget my sunscreen. Either I use UV Doux, Neude Sunscreen, or the new Nivea Shine-control one, sunscreen is a must.

Brinton UV Doux Blue Light Sunscreen Review SPF 50 PA+++ 

I did not face any reactions or breakouts

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toner did not cause any rashes or reactions unlike the new Barrier Repair serum did. It did not result in breakouts and worked great for my sensitive skin.

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution is an exfoliator so it will end up making skin dry. You will have to increase/reduce the frequency as per your skin’s needs.

Glycolic Acid Toner can be used on the body such as knees, elbows, and underarms, and on the scalp. However, I did not use this product on my body or on my hair mainly because I did not feel the need.

If you are facing unevenness or what is called “strawberry skin”, this Glycolic acid toner from The Ordinary would really help you out.

Pros

• Worked on clogged pores
• Reduced the appearance of big pores
• Brings out smooth and soft skin
• Skin looked a lot more fresh, clear, and glowing
• Helped with speedy recovery of skin from acne and marks

Cons

• On the costlier side but worth it!

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Images

This was it for today. I hope you have found my review of The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution helpful. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Have a Good Day!